THE leader of St Helens Council has given a scathing assessment of Boris Johnson and his ‘no-deal’ Brexit cabinet.

Cllr David Baines was among more than 100 Labour council leaders from across the country to write to the new Prime Minister, urging him to return local government funding to 2010 levels over the next four years, making adult social care and children’s services a priority.

The St Helens Labour leader also gave a bleak assessment of the new Prime Minister’s cabinet, saying “none of them can be trusted.”

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Cllr Baines warned that under Mr Johnson, Britain is facing an “increasing risk” of a no-deal Brexit, which will cause “significant harm” to the country.

“While I hope he and his new government will listen, the record of his party in government does not inspire hope, and these are very worrying times for our country,” Cllr Baines said.

“We are at increasing risk of a no-deal Brexit causing significant harm to our economy, jobs and security.

“Poverty is growing, our relationship with our European allies is as weak as it has been for decades and our new Prime Minister is in the pocket of President Trump.”

The council leader also questioned Mr Johnson’s character and his history of controversial and offensive remarks over the past 20 years.

Cllr Baines said Mr Johnson becoming Prime Minister should concern “any decent Briton”.

He said the new Prime Minister has no democratic mandate, given the former Foreign Secretary was elected by just 0.14 per cent of Britain’s population.

“More people voted for Ed Balls on Strictly than have voted for this man to be Prime Minister,” Cllr Baines said.

“And the cabinet he has put together is hardly a team of all the talents.

“We have a Home Secretary who was sacked from her previous job for holding secret talks with a foreign state; a Culture Secretary who has previously said that teaching the arts holds children back; a Foreign Secretary who until recently didn’t know the UK was an island; an Education Secretary who was sacked just two months ago for leaking national security secrets.

“Esther McVey, who said food banks are a positive thing, and who denies that welfare cuts have driven the rise in food poverty; and Jacob Rees-Mogg, a man who believes in Britain and the positive impact of Brexit so much that last year he moved the investment fund he manages from the UK to Ireland.

“None of them can be trusted.”

St Helens Star:

St Helens Council leader, David Baines

Leader of the St Helens Conservatives, Allan Jones, disagreed with Cllr Baines’ grim assessment, saying the new Prime Minister was a “breath of fresh of fresh air”.

The Rainford councillor insisted Mr Johnson will “put Britain first”.

Cllr Jones said: “What Boris will do, he will fulfil the will of the people of St Helens to come out of Europe, unlike the two Labour MPs here in St Helens who want to have another referendum and ultimately stay in.

“These two MPs do not represent the people of St Helens.”

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Cllr Baines said the new-look government cannot represent the people of St Helens, and vowed to “oppose it at every turn”.

“This government does not represent modern Britain,” Cllr Baines said.

“It cannot represent St Helens, and I and my Labour colleagues will oppose it at every turn.”